The Awakening

By Kate Chopin

Why do we read fiction? Why do some novels get deemed as classics and others are soon forgotten? The fiction books that are soon forgotten seem to me to be writing for writings sake, they provide no concrete message, lack congruence and most importantly they don’t transcend time. The classics, on the other hand, stand the test of generations. Why else would Shakespeare even be known today? Classic stories of inner and outer conflict that apply even today. These messages can be powerful, moving and even sometimes inspiring. This is why we read classics, for the emotion of the story.

I don’t normally read fiction but I try my hand at it every once in a while. This book was my first in a long time. Here’s why: generally I like to know what I’m getting myself into before the read. With nonfiction books you can generally tell what the message is right away and there are usually multiple clear messages at that. With fiction it’s hard to tell where the author is going with the message until the last few pages. There are some classics in the past I have enjoyed like Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and George Orwell’s 1984. Both are fantastic reads and tend to employ English to its highest capabilities.

That being said, I did not particularly enjoy The Awakening. Despite it being an acclaimed American novel. It didn’t appeal to me very much. Perhaps this was because it was difficult to relate to Edna Pontellier our protagonist. However, the themes in this book do transcend time. Much of the message in the book comes to us saying that if we are not happy with our lot in life, change it. Just because doing the same routine is easier does not mean that we should always keep the same patterns. It’s our patterns that define us and whether those patterns are constructive or destructive that defines our state as being generally happy or displeased. This should not go without saying; changing our reality does not mean we should run from responsibilities. When we become more self-aware we begin to see more of what we do enjoy and what we despise as well as what we would rather do without, inconveniences. However these inconveniences are often what bring more joy into life. Everyone has to do their grunt work from time to time. Neglect of the home and struggling relationships can bring immense pain and whether we like it or not we should continue to be responsible as we discover ourselves in our own light. In our awakening.

What is a recent awakening that you have had in your life? Comment and Share below!

Happy Reading!